Missouri City cracks down on junked cars, trash

KAREN HASTINGS, CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT

Published
6:30 am CST, Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Missouri City has set a July 1 goal of ridding the city of unsightly junked and abandoned vehicles. In addition, it is once again stepping up citations for residents who leave garbage cans on the street too long.

Code-enforcement officers will write citations for anyone who leaves an inoperable or abandoned vehicle in public sight or on a public right of way, City Manager Frank Simpson said.

Citations carry a fine of up to $200.

The same standard will be applied to the perennial problem of misplaced garbage cans and bags, which can bring fines of up to $500 per occurrence.

City officials say the renewed push follows complaints and a period of leniency when officers wrote warning letters for violations ranging from overgrown lots and unsanitary pools to damaged fences.

"That has not seen quite the success that we wish, so we're going back to the original ordinance and how it is written," said Public Works Director Scott Elmer, who supervises code enforcement.

City Council members got a report Feb. 7 on the renewed effort to target both junked and abandoned vehicles and garbage or yard debris left in public view.

While the number of problem vehicles is not large - perhaps in the dozens, Elmer said - they are a pet peeve with homeowner groups.

"I think it's time that we start citing," said Mayor Allen Owen during the Feb. 7 meeting. "Get after it, because it's getting old."

In recent years, Missouri City has gone back and forth with its code-enforcement efforts.

In 2009, the city's four inspectors wrote hundreds of citations for code infractions following a public awareness campaign and neighborhood sweeps.

This led to a backlash from residents, however, and the more recent period of leniency in which inspectors wrote warning letters in some cases.

Councilman Don Smith said some residents in his district feel city inspectors have too much discretion, letting some violations slide with warnings while giving tickets in others.

The city code has separate procedures for junked and abandoned vehicles. Junked vehicles are defined as those without a current license or inspection sticker that are stored in public view. Exceptions include vehicles parked as part of a junk or vehicle dealer, or on antique dealer's property, if properly screened from view.

According to the city code, junked vehicles are unsafe, reduce property values, invite vandalism, create fire hazards and are "detrimental to the economic welfare of the city by producing urban blight."

Abandoned vehicles are defined as those that are inoperable, more than five years old, and left unattended or illegally on public property for more than 48 hours, or left on the public right of way of a street or highway for more than 48 hours.

Elmer said the city must follow due process and other restrictions: A properly licensed and inspected car may be parked in front of a home, as long as it is on a hard surface, and certain notification requirements must be met before a junked or abandoned vehicle may be towed.

According to the city code, residents may leave their garbage cans and bags of grass clippings out after 6 p.m. on the night before their scheduled garbage pick-up day and must store trash containers away from public view by midnight on the trash collection day.

Elmer said the city strives to address code-enforcement problems uniformly. Officers do have discretion to be more lenient with new residents, for example, or less lenient with repeat offenders, he said.

"The goal of code enforcement is not punishment; the goal is compliance," Elmer said. "Not every problem requires a hammer."

While the city will continue to enforce all codes, residents have been particularly vocal about problem vehicles and trash cans.

"They go to the maintenance of property values and the quality of life that the citizens of Missouri City request," Elmer said. "There is a negative impact to some of these items."

Simpson said the city will make a push to address all junked and abandoned vehicles by July 1

The city will promote the renewed campaign via press releases and in regular meetings with homeowner associations.

Bright orange tags will signal vehicles that are receiving city attention.